Great Circle Navigation with Vectorial Methods

The present paper is concerned with the solution of a series of practical problems relevant to great circle navigation, including the determination of the true course at any point on the great circle route and the determination of the lateral deviation from a desired great circle route. Intersection between two great circles or between a great circle and a parallel is also analyzed. These problems are approached by means of vector analysis, which yields solutions in a very compact form that can be computed numerically in a very straightforward manner. This approach is thus particularly appealing for performing computer-aided great circle navigation.